FEDORA - Ted Huffman on Radio France: Art, Leadership and the Future of Aix-en-Provence Festival

Ted Huffman © Lea Maienberg i

Ted Huffman on Radio France: Art, Leadership and the Future of Aix-en-Provence Festival

Industry News

FEDORA - GENERALI Prize for Opera 2019 Winner for Denis & Katya, Ted Huffman was recently a guest on France Musique’s Musique Matin, where he spoke about his new role as General Director of the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence and shared his vision for the future of one of Europe’s most influential opera festivals.

During the interview, Huffman reflected on the transition from stage director to festival leader, describing the responsibility of stewarding an institution with a strong artistic legacy while responding to the challenges and expectations of today’s cultural landscape. His remarks highlighted a clear commitment to artistic creation, experimentation, and the support of emerging voices in opera and the performing arts.

“I want to highlight creation and young artists, and help open opera to people who think it isn’t for them,” he said on France Musique.

Appointed General Director in January 2026, Huffman steps into the role following a long and close relationship with the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, where he has been involved as an artist for over a decade. Known internationally for his contemporary approach to opera and theatre, he brings to Aix both a deep understanding of the Festival’s identity and a desire to ensure its continued relevance for future generations.

In the interview, Huffman also spoke about continuity, acknowledging the work and vision of his predecessor Pierre Audi, while looking ahead to how the Festival can continue to evolve, balancing tradition with innovation, and reinforcing its role as a space for new artistic ideas to emerge and circulate internationally.

For FEDORA, Ted Huffman’s presence on Radio France is a powerful reminder of the long-term impact of supporting artists at key moments in their careers. Seeing a former Prize winner take on such a prominent leadership position, and publicly articulate a vision rooted in openness, creativity, and access, reflects the values at the heart of FEDORA’s mission. Huffman is a member of the artistic team behind the opera creation Denis & Katya led by Opera Philadelphia, winner of the FEDORA – GENERALI Prize for Opera 2019, a chamber opera based on a true story that has been staged across major international opera houses.

As Huffman begins this new chapter at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, his voice contributes to a wider conversation about the future of opera in Europe: one that is collaborative, forward-looking, and firmly connected to the artists shaping what comes next.

The Morning Show with Ted Huffman

Ted Huffman, the New York–based stage director, has just assumed his role as General Director of the Aix-en-Provence Festival of Lyric Art. He continues to direct opera productions, with Massenet’s Werther at the Opéra-Comique in Paris coming up in the next few days.

Listen to the full interview